The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to secure containers that can withstand attempts at intrusion. There has been a recognition that the United States is at risk of the delivery of weapons of mass destruction to its ports by enemies employing a strategy of hiding such a weapon in a shipping container. Various schemes have been proposed for X-raying containers or otherwise examining containers as they are loaded on ships in foreign ports. Such schemes, however, can be very limited in effectiveness since they can be defeated with X-ray shielding, are vulnerable to compromise by rogue employees and the contents of the containers may be altered after they are loaded in a foreign port.
Approximately sixteen million twenty foot containers are in use throughout the world. Additionally, approximately 40% of the personnel that load and off-load these containers come from nations that are on the terrorist list. Bribery and sabotage are common throughout the shipping industry, including government officials, shipping companies and freight forwarders. Large quantities of contraband material now pass through the maritime commerce into most ports in the U.S.
The current shipping containers are primarily made of steel with considerable drawbacks. The steel containers increase shipping weight unnecessarily, wear out quickly, and can be infiltrated by simple means. Other panels not made of steel have been considered, but they are typically not made of weldable material. Without a strong weld, a container is susceptible to intrusion.
To a limited degree, the notion of enclosing in containers detecting devices that communicate with external systems, such as sensors or processors, has been implemented in unsecure applications. For example, Sensitech, based in Beverly, Mass. (www.sensitech.com), provides solutions in the food and pharmaceuticals fields that are used for monitoring temperature and humidity for goods in-transit, in-storage, and on display. Such temperature and humidity monitors are typically placed in storage and transit containers to monitor if desired conditions are maintained.
Such environmental data is used for ensuring that products in a container do not spoil by being subjected to unfavorable temperature and humidity conditions. Secure communications, tamper resistance, and detection are not particularly relevant issues in such settings. Additionally, such monitors do not monitor for the presence of suspicious content or materials, no matter where they may be introduced in the transportation or supply chain.
Even if detectors are introduced into a container and interfaced to an external system, an enemy may employ any of a variety of strategies to defeat such a detection system. For instance, an enemy may attempt to shield the suspicious materials or activities from the detectors; defeat the communication interface between the detectors and the external system, so that the interface does not report evidence of suspicious materials or activities sensed by the detectors; disconnect the detectors from the interface; surreptitiously load a container that contains an atomic weapon, but that does not contain detecting devices, onto a container ship; and overcome external systems so that they incorrectly report on the status of the detectors. This invention is related to U.S. Pat. No. 8,531,292, issued Sep. 10, 2013 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/587,803, filed on Jul. 14, 2004, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing, distributing, and utilizing shipping containers such that they may be monitored for unauthorized access. The present invention also relates to methods of making and using inherently secure shipping containers that improve shipping processes and provide a savings in the cost of transportation, increased control, faster throughput, and reduction of losses due to pilferage.